


Day 338

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [338]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:08:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27884278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [338]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 338

Sketch usually made it a point to run away from screaming but he had somehow managed to get himself in a position where he and his companions were heading towards the sounds of death and destruction.

There had been a few days for relative peace as the templars were focused on the Alienage but then the blighted resolutionists had absolutely devastated the city by attacking the Gallows and letting a hoard of demons loose. At least last time, they had contained the damage to a single neighborhood. Now there were demons all over the city.

The guards Lisa-Marie and Conrad were supposed to be on demon cleanup but they had both agreed to go bloodmage hunting with Sketch instead. He felt they were getting close to finding the central base of operation for the resolutionists. The nearby screaming was a good sign.

One of the elves from the Alienage, Noll, had joined their party as well. They said they were looking for elven apostates among the resolutionists. Hoping to capture a few to turn over to the templars as a ‘show of good faith,’ whatever that meant.

“We should be cautious,” Conrad said. The screams abruptly cut out. The silence was somehow more disturbing than the noise had been. “If they know we’ve found them they’ll just move again, and they’ll probably kill more people to cover their escape.”

“But if we don’t confirm it’s them,” Noll added, “then we’ll bring the guards and templars on a wild goose chase. Then the blood mages will know we’re on to them and we have the same problem.”

“So we’re just supposed to let whoever’s screaming surfer while we scout and report back?” Lisa-Marie asked.

“Yes,” the other three said in unison.

“There’s a sewer entrance nearby,” Sketch said pointing down a side passage. “We can use that to get close, then Noll can sneak closer to confirm we’ve found the resolutinists.”

The group agreed and, with some complaint, began trudging through the sewage that ran under every bit of Kirkwall. When Sketch had first arrived here, he had marveled at just how much waist a city of people could produce, but the more he thought about it, the more he was amazed by how little there was. Fereldon had more than a few cities not built by Tevinter and the oldest of these had no drainage to speak of. They left their shit and piss in the streets for gong farmers to shovel up. It took a fleet of workers working full time to keep the city clean enough that the richest neighbourhoods could mask the smell with incense and herbs.

Sketch held up a hand to signal a halt when he saw light shining through a grate. This was as close to the resolutionists as they were likely to get through the sewers and, to Sketch’s delight, was not part of any of the official maps. That would mean the secret chamber he sought might be above them. 

Noll slunk forwards, blending with the shadows so that Sketch lost sight of them even while knowing where they were. He only caught sight of the other elf again when they approached the grate. Sketch held his breath as Noll inched their way along.

A blood curdling scream made Sketch leap into the air spraying sweet-water in all directions. Both guards had their weapons drawn looking for the source of the noise. It was a small human woman who had been crouched in the sewage near the great. She had only had her eyes and nose exposed and was under a pile of fur that made her look like a dead rat caught in the flow of water. She must have been a blood-thrall, no one else could have stayed so still for so long in this stench.

Noll tried to retreat but the grate was blown down by some spell cast from above, and they didn’t have time to get clear. They were blessed under the water and, once again, Sketch lost sight of them. Their mages dropped down, staves crackling with energy.

One sliced his arm and sent the blood towards Sketch and the two guards. Conrad began chanting the Litany of Adralla and Sketch threw up all the magical protection he could muster. 

“We’re not falling for that again” One of the other Mages shouted. He shot a bolt of lightning that hit Conrad and arched to Sketch and Lisa-Marie. Sketch had faced far worse but it did disrupt the protection spell he had been casting which fizzled out with no effect. Before he could start casting another spell a stonefist took him in the chest and flung him down the tunnel.

Sketch cried out in pain and surprise and got a mouthful of sewage. He got to his feet, coughing and sputtering and trying not to vomit. It took him a few tries to clear the thick liquid from his eyes enough that he could see.

Conrad was trapped in a crushing prison and from the looks of him, he couldn’t hold out much longer. His armor was dented and he was bleeding from several places. Lisa-Marie was shambling around in a way that suggested she was not in control of her body anymore.

Sketch wasted precious seconds deciding if he should flee or try to rescue his companions and didn’t see Noll until they were right next to him.

“Noll,” Sketch stammered. “We need to get out of-”

Sketch’s words came to an abrupt halt when Noll drove their blades into Sketch’s guts.

“I’m hoping we can come to some sort of arrangement,” Noll called to the mages. “I have no quarrel with you, I seek only to safeguard the elves of the Alienage.”

They tossed Sketch aside, without even removing their blades, and the current slowly carried him away from the mages. Noll had stabbed him in the bowls: without healing magic Sketch was in for a nasty, and very slow, death. Fortunately Sketch was quite skilled in healing magic and with the blades still in his guts, he could afford to wait until he was out of sight of the mages to heal himself.

Sketch had worked with too many spies to think that Noll was careless enough to leave him alive, knowing what he could do. Sketch would have to come back as soon as possible with a rescue if Noll had any hope of surviving with their mind intact.


End file.
